Lifestyle
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Kenny's tired of dating girls. Now he's trying to get Kyle. The red-haired boy is curious about Kenny's lifestyle, but he has more important things on his mind.  Rated T for language.
1. Please Try Again Later

This story was written at the request of "Myurra-K".

* * *

><p>Kenny had always been a guy with many girlfriends, but he had really been overdoing it nowadays. He was seen with a different (attractive) girl every week, sometimes even more than one. Recently, however, he had been getting bored with all the girls. Now he wanted someone else. He wanted Kyle.<br>Nobody had ever said no to him. He simply looked at them with his big blue eyes (and without his hood, to expose his messy blond hair), smiled, and the girls all melted in front of him. His lack of failure in getting who he wanted made him confident, so he thought that Kyle would also be convinced by the same tactic.  
>The first step was getting some time alone with Kyle. They hadn't spoken in a while, and Kyle probably missed him, so that would be easy. The harder part would be convincing him to date him, but his tactic was infallible... or so he thought.<br>The actual relationship would probably be shorter than the time wasted on convincing him, but it would be worth it. Kyle was one of the cutest guys in the school, second only to Kenny himself.  
>Kyle wasn't aware of any of this, however, as he had other things on his mind. He had finally come to terms with the fact that he was gay, but that wasn't enough for him. He needed to be truthful to everyone and tell them about it. He would never feel comfortable around his friends and family otherwise. Of course, first he needed to tell his parents about it. He had already told Ike, who showed his support over his decision to tell everyone and promised he'd be there when he finally decided to tell their parents. And today was that day.<p>

"_This should be an interesting conversation..._"

Kyle walked slowly downstairs with his heart pounding in his chest. His legs felt like they were going to give out at any moment. The only thing that kept him going was the thought that, soon, it would be over. He looked around and saw his mother, his father, but not Ike.

"_Come on, Ike, where are you?_"

"Hey, son."  
>"H-Hey, dad..."<br>"Where's your brother?"  
>"I don't know... He's probably still sleeping."<p>

"_Ike, get down here right now before I have a fucking heart attack!_"

"M-Maybe I should go check on him..."

Gerald nodded in agreement and Kyle went upstairs to check on his brother. Like he thought, Ike was still sleeping. He had been up all night talking to his friends, so when he heard the alarm on his cellphone going off, he just ignored it until it stopped and went back to sleep. However, Kyle needed him now.

"Ike, wake up." said Kyle as he shook his brother.

Ike groaned in response and tried to open his eyes. The red and pink blobs in front of him slowly turned into Kyle's hair and face, and he jumped once he remembered what he promised.

"Kyle! I'm so sorry!"  
>"Ike, keep your voice down! Just... let's go downstairs."<br>"I'm really sorry... Come on, let's go."

Once Ike was able to stand properly, Kyle dragged him downstairs and sat down next to him at the table. Everyone started eating, until Ike suddenly said that Kyle had something he needed to tell them.

"Mom, dad, Kyle has something he needs to tell you."  
>"Ike!"<br>"Sorry dude, but I can't stand it anymore. Just tell them and get it over with." whispered Ike.  
>"Really? What is it, son?"<p>

"_Fucking Ike..._"

Kyle cleared his throat and stared intensely at the bowl in front of him. Ike grabbed his hand and Kyle held on to it as if his life depended on it. He was really trying to calm himself down, but the fact that Ike made their parents wait for an answer didn't help.

"Mom, dad... I-I-I'm... gay."

* * *

><p>After a very long discussion (with some random interruptions from Kyle's hysterical mother), his parents finally accepted it, once Ike stepped in and yelled at them in Kyle's defense. The worst wasn't over, however. He still had to tell his friends at the school. Just thinking about it made Kyle's stomach tie itself into a knot. Thankfully, Ike would be there to help him through it all.<p>

* * *

><p>The brothers arrived at the school a few minutes afterward, but the kids were leaving the bus very slowly. Kyle told Ike to keep his mouth shut this time until he was ready to tell his friends. Ike agreed, although he was also somewhat amused by Kyle's embarrassment.<p>

"Why don't you just say it here?"  
>"On the bus? Are you fucking stupid or something?"<br>"It was just an idea... No need to insult me."  
>"...Sorry. It's just that... this is something that needs to be handled carefully."<p>

"_I don't know why I thought about doing this. I should've just keep my mouth shut about the whole thing and dealt with some other way._"

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Kyle and Ike gathered a few of Kyle's friends (without trying to make it look intentional) and started talking about a lot of things. They didn't know what Kyle wanted to talk about, or even that he had to talk about anything, though, so they found it a bit odd that they were all gathered in one place.<p>

"Who is he dating **this** week?"  
>"I think it was a girl named Carol or something like that. Does it really matter? Eventually Kenny's gonna run out of girls."<br>"He'll probably start going for the ones who already have boyfriends when he's done."  
>"Nah... I don't think so. It could get ugly. Some guys tend not to like it when you mess around with their girlfriends, and Kenny knows it."<p>

"_Like he cares..._"

"S-So, guys... I have something I need to tell you." said Kyle as he fidgeted.  
>"What? You're gay or something?" asked Cartman.<p>

"_Why the fuck did __**you**__ come here?_"

Kyle was once again regretting his decision and glanced at Ike, with a look on his face that said "I don't want to do this". Ike approached him and patted his back as a way to tell him that it would be OK. That gave Kyle the confidence he needed to finally say what he wanted to.

"...Y-Yeah."

Cartman took a step back and glanced over at Kyle to see if he was serious. After a few seconds, he burst out laughing, having realized that Kyle was telling the truth.

"Wow! So you're a gay ginger Jew from New Jersey... Just when you thought Kyle couldn't get any lower, he-"  
>"Shut up, Cartman!" yelled Ike. "That's my brother you're talking about, you fat fuck. He's a better person than you'll ever be."<br>"Look at that, adopted-boy is standing up for his gay brother!" said Cartman with a smug look on his face.

Ike slowly walked over to Cartman and looked at him for a while. Cartman tried to make himself seem bigger, but Ike knew that he was as strong as an eight year-old child. He was about to make another negative comment about Kyle, so Ike delivered a quick knee to the groin. Cartman dropped to the ground and screamed in pain, but nobody stepped forward to help him or said anything about it. Ike turned around and looked at everyone around him for a long time before speaking up for his brother once again.

"Does anyone else need to talk about this?"

The only reply he got was the slow and silent dispersion of the group.  
>After Cartman managed to get back on his feet and walk away, Ike went back to his brother and gave him a big hug.<p>

"You're very brave. If it were me, I'd just... Well, I'd probably just keep it to myself."

Kyle was comforted by Ike's words and the hug, but he didn't believe what Ike had said. If it hadn't been for him, Cartman would've kept going until he was in tears... and nobody would've stepped in to stop him.

"...It's time to get back to class. Are you gonna be OK?"  
>"Yeah..."<p>

Ike gave Kyle another hug and went to his class. When Kyle got into the classroom, however, everyone stared at him, watching his every move. He felt very nervous and tripped three times before finally sitting down at his desk. The class was unusually silent the whole time. Even the teacher was affected by all the tension, although she didn't know what was causing it.

* * *

><p><strong>ONE WEEK LATER<strong>

For the past week, Kyle had been struggling with his friends' reaction to his homosexuality. At first, only Cartman was mocking him, but, little by little, everyone was making a few negative comments every once in a while. They thought Kyle would take it as a joke, but he didn't like it one bit. Unfortunately, they just kept going at it instead of leaving him alone.  
>However, Kenny didn't know any of this and thought that it would be the perfect time to talk to him.<p>

"Hey, Kyle! Wait up!" yelled Kenny as he ran towards Kyle.

"_Now what? Probably just another of my so-called 'friends' who wants to make fun of me for being gay... I don't know why I told everyone... Worst decision of my life..._" thought Kyle as he walked away faster.

"Kyle!" repeated Kenny, wondering why Kyle wasn't replying to him.

"_That's it. I need to start standing up for myself. Let's see what this guy wants..._"

Kyle suddenly stopped, almost causing Kenny to crash into him. Thankfully, the blond boy's reflexes were sharper than most people's. However, he ended up tripping and fell onto the cold, hard ground.

"_Ow..._"

"Hey, Kyle. I called you twice..."  
>"...Yeah, sorry, I thought... Never mind." said Kyle as he stretched out his arm to help Kenny get back on his feet.<br>"What's wrong?"  
>"It doesn't matter. Besides, shouldn't you be going out with one of your 'girlfriends' or something?"<br>"Nah. I wanted a break from that... Maybe spend some time with my friends again, you know? I missed you." said Kenny as he stared into Kyle's dark green eyes and smiled.

"_God dammit Kyle, you're so fucking pretty..._"

"So, what? Are you gonna walk me home or something? Try to catch up on the last six months in ten minutes?"  
>"...I-I was hoping you'd invite me in so we could talk for a bit longer than that."<p>

Kenny was starting to get nervous due to Kyle's hostility. Since nobody had ever rejected him, he didn't know how to handle it.

"...I'm sorry, I just have a lot of things on my mind right now. Sure, you can come over to my place. Just... try not to draw too much attention to yourself."  
>"OK... Can I ask why?"<br>"To be honest, I don't like the way you treat the people you date, and I don't want people to think that I'm gonna be your next ex."  
>"Trust me, there's no chance of that happening."<br>"Right..."

Although Kyle said what that he didn't want to be Kenny's next ex, he was lying... about most of it. He really didn't want to be just another person in Kenny's "track record", but he was also very curious about what it would be like.  
>Kenny's reputation was well known throughout the school, and yet every single girl still wanted him. At first, Kyle thought it was because Kenny was pretty, but <strong>nobody<strong> was that pretty. The fact that the girls weren't upset about Kenny's actions only made Kyle wonder more about what it was that made him so special. Knowing Kenny, it was most likely some form of addictive (and probably illegal) substance... and Kyle didn't want to try any of those.

* * *

><p>"Well, here we are. Home sweet home." said Kyle as he sat down on his bed.<br>"I haven't been here in like..."  
>"...Two years."<br>"Really?"  
>"Give or take a couple of months, but... yeah."<br>"And you were counting all this time?"  
>"When your best friend stops coming over, you tend to notice it."<br>"**I'm** your best friend? What about Stan?"  
>"You <strong>were<strong> my best friend."  
>"...What changed?"<br>"**You** changed. I don't know what made you think that going out with a different girl every week was anything but repulsive, to say the least."  
>"Kyle, seriously, don't you know who the hell you're talking to? I've been objectifying women since we were <strong>eight<strong>. And **now** you have a problem with it?"  
>"No you haven't. You always said you would, but when you actually had the chance, you never did it. You always treated your girlfriends with respect... But then you changed. You started taking advantage of them... I expected that from Cartman, not you."<p>

Kenny paused for a brief moment, wondering if Kyle was right. However, he pushed those thoughts out of his head just as quickly as they appeared.

"...Anyway, you said you wanted to catch up, right?"  
>"Yeah. Of course."<br>"Well, sit down." said Kyle as he patted the bed. "It's gonna take a while."

* * *

><p>Without delay, Kenny sat down next to Kyle and feigned interest in his story. Kyle didn't notice it, though, so he told Kenny everything he thought important. He started with the time Cartman almost made him tell him that he was gay, followed by his first crush on a guy (although he didn't say who it was; simply saying "he's gone") and how he didn't realize it until it was too late, the first time he talked about his family about homosexuality and their various reactions, the first time he told someone that he was gay, and finally how hard it was to tell everyone at the school about it. However, he left out the fact that he was still being bullied at school because of it and simply told Kenny that he was done with his recap.<p>

"That's... a lot less than I expected."  
>"Yeah, life's been pretty uneventful for me."<br>"Well, mine isn't exactly very interesting either. Mostly just a few relationships and stuff like that..."

"_A few? You've probably dated every girl in South Park!_" thought Kyle as he raised one of his eyebrows.

"...OK, maybe 'a few' is a minor understatement."

"_Minor... Right..._"

"But yeah, that's all that I've been doing. Boring, I know."  
>"...Can I ask you something?"<br>"Sure. Anything." said Kenny as he put his hand on Kyle's.  
>"...You know what, never mind." replied Kyle as he withdrew his hand from underneath Kenny's.<p>

"_Playing hard to get, huh?_"

"Kyle..."  
>"Yeah?"<br>"I kinda lied about why I came here... Well, not exactly **lied**. I just didn't tell you everything."  
>"So you <strong>didn't<strong> want to catch up?"  
>"No, of course I did! You're my friend... and you're also..."<br>"...What?"

Kenny quickly put his hands on Kyle's shoulders and pushed him onto the bed. Kyle was too surprised by the whole thing to do anything about it.

"You're also very fucking pretty."  
>"K-Kenny-"<br>"Shh... It's OK. Just let Kenny take care of you." said Kenny as he ran his fingers across Kyle's chest.

"_Stop..._" thought Kyle as Kenny lied down on him.

Kenny placed his lips next to Kyle's ear and started whispering very softly.

"I'm sure you're very curious as to what it feels like... to be with another guy like this... So am I... What do you say we find out?"

Kyle's eyes widened, as he thought that Kenny was talking about sex. However, the blond boy reassured him that he didn't mean it.

"Don't worry, we're not gonna have sex or anything like that..."

"_Not yet anyway..._"

"S-Stop..."

Kenny didn't believe Kyle meant it, since the red-haired boy wasn't fighting back, so he kept going. First, he started kissing Kyle's neck, moving slowly up to his cheek, and finally his ear lobe. Kyle was still in shock; all he could do was repeat the same message.

"K-Kenny, stop..."

But Kenny didn't. He kept going and was now hanging over Kyle's lips while staring directly into his eyes, waiting for his friend's unspoken consent. However, Kyle was no longer in shock and was finally able to clearly convey the message he intended.

"Kenny, stop. Get off me."

"_Still playing hard to get? I guess you need a little more convincing..._"

Kenny lowered his face and the boys' lips joined in a tender kiss. At first, Kenny thought that Kyle was enjoying it, since, once again, he wasn't fighting back, but once he broke the kiss, Kyle gave him a quick punch to the face. Kenny was stunned for a brief moment, which enabled Kyle to finally throw him off the bed. Kenny was in pain, but his surprise over Kyle's actions was greater.

"What..."  
>"...I told you to stop. You didn't." said Kyle as he stood up next to Kenny and once again stretched his arm to help him up.<br>"...Thanks." said Kenny as he took Kyle's arm and got back on his feet.  
>"Now you sit over there at my desk and I'll sit over here. If you try something like that again, I'm not even gonna bother asking you to leave."<br>"N-No, that's OK... I think I'll leave now... It's already getting dark outside."

"_I also need to lie down for a while after... 'falling' off your bed, and I don't think you'll let me do it here..._"

"Alright then." said Kyle as he walked behind Kenny towards his bedroom door. "Oh, and Kenny?"  
>"Yeah?"<br>"I don't want to hear about what happened here. Ever. If you tell anyone, I'll fucking kill you."

Kenny's first thought was that he was immortal, but after looking into Kyle's eyes, he feared for his life. Kyle was really pissed at him for what he did.

"_I should apologize._" thought Kenny as he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Kyle, I'm really s-"

Kyle didn't even bother listening to Kenny. He slammed the bedroom door in his face and sat down at his desk. Although he had told Kenny not to do that again, he had also been enjoying what he was doing. That much was obvious to him. What wasn't clear was why he had enjoyed it in the first place. He was curious, sure, and he had probably found out how Kenny got what he wanted, but that didn't mean he should have enjoyed it so much... He didn't even try to get Kenny off until _after_ they kissed. Although it was probably from the shock... Yeah, that had to be it. Or maybe Kenny was that good at manipulating people. After all, he had been doing nothing but dating multiple girls for the past two years... according to him anyway. Kenny always liked to exaggerate.

* * *

><p>Kenny ran home as quickly as he could, unsure of what he was feeling. He had been rejected for the first time in his life, and yet that was affecting him more than it should. There was something else messing with him. However, he just shrugged and ignored those feelings. How could he know if his feelings were greater than they should be if he had never experienced them before?<br>Besides, Kyle was probably still a bit uncomfortable with being gay. And coming out to everyone couldn't have been easy either. It was probably holding him back. He would just have to try again tomorrow. Kenny wanted Kyle, and he wasn't ready to give up just yet.


	2. Romance Is The Only Way

Kyle got in bed at about 11 PM, still thinking about what had happened between him and Kenny. He could still feel Kenny's lips against his own, and the only thing on his mind was the moment their lips touched. He felt as if everything in his life up to that moment had occurred in less than a second, and yet that single moment had lasted forever. It was giving him a very big headache, and the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about it was just making his head feel worse.  
>Determined, Kyle was finally able to push these thoughts out of his head, only to have them replaced with all the mocking he had been enduring at school. He felt like he was going insane with everyone's voices in his head, screaming their insults at him. Eventually Kyle snapped and just started crying silently in his bed. He wanted to tell Ike about it, but having his little brother standing up for him wasn't exactly the best thing for his self-esteem.<p>

* * *

><p>Kenny only went to sleep at 2 AM; he always liked to stay up late. Like Kyle, he couldn't stop thinking about the kiss, but for different reasons. He couldn't understand how he had failed. Everything about his plan was perfect – pretend to listen to his story with interest, so that they'd form a bond, make physical contact (something more meaningful than a hug) and finally cross over from the "barely romantic" to the "very romantic" type of physical contact. It should've worked. Why didn't it work? Kenny thought that maybe he tried to move in too quickly. After all, Kyle had only recently come out to everyone.<br>If he wanted Kyle, he would have to work harder at it. Maybe go out with him "as friends" a few times, give him a few flowers, or write him a bad poem or two. One thing was clear – getting Kyle would require some romance. The only problem was that Kenny was a bit "rusty" when it came to romance. He was used to dating a girl for a few days and dumping her for a new one when he got bored. In fact, he'd been doing it for over six months. But that didn't matter now, because it didn't help him. Getting Kyle was all that mattered right now, and if romance was the only way to do so, then Kenny would just have to give it his best shot.

* * *

><p>The following day, Kyle was the first one to wake up, as usual. His dreams had been very confusing, combining what had happened with Kenny (and what would've happened if he hadn't left) with everyone's mocking. He could barely remember it, save for a few images of Cartman getting beat up by Kenny in his defense and that kiss. Soon, all that was in his mind, once again, was the kiss.<br>He didn't understand why he had enjoyed it so much. Kenny had **literally** forced it on him, even though he told him to stop... That's right, he had told him to stop. He **hadn't** enjoyed it. If he had, he wouldn't have told Kenny to stop. It just didn't make sense.  
>Kyle finally had a good rationalization for what happened. He didn't want to believe that he had actually enjoyed any of that, so he was going to try to hold on to that thought until he could finally put all of that behind him.<p>

* * *

><p>Kenny woke up a few hours later. Like Kyle, he had dreamt about the kiss over and over again, still trying to figure out what he had done wrong. He thought his mind would be clear of those thoughts by now, since he had already found out a better way to get Kyle, but, obviously, he was wrong. He didn't know why he couldn't stop thinking about it. It didn't matter anymore – he had a way to fix it. And yet, he felt as if that single mistake was the worst thing he had ever done. He thought about this issue for a very long time before finally coming to a conclusion.<br>He thought that it wasn't what he had done that was a mistake, but rather what he was going to do. If he wasn't used to being romantic, he might screw it up. Worse yet, he hadn't talked to Kyle (at least not for extended periods of time) in almost two years. He didn't know if Kyle still liked the same things, like food, movies, games... He would have to talk to someone who did – Stan. After all, he was his best friend.

"_Kyle's best friend..._"

Suddenly, Kenny's thoughts changed from what he was going to have to do to Stan's status as Kyle's best friend. To him, it didn't feel right. Stan and Kyle were close when they were kids, but, as they got older, Kenny got closer to Kyle, eventually replacing Stan as his best friend. Nowadays, however...  
>Kenny didn't want to admit to himself that he was jealous of Stan, so he rationalized that he was just disappointed, because being Kyle's best friend would give him a better chance at getting what he wanted. But he couldn't focus on that right now. Stan's advice would certainly improve his chances, so he would have to talk to him anyway.<p>

* * *

><p>When Kenny got to the bus stop, he only saw Stan and Cartman. Kyle was nowhere to be seen. He thought that he was probably avoiding him after what happened. That was actually a positive thing for once. He needed to talk to Stan. All he had to do was get him away from Cartman.<p>

"Hey, Stan, can I talk to you in private?"  
>"Stan, I think someone wants to-"<br>"Cartman, shut up."  
>"Uh... Sure, Kenny."<p>

Kenny and Stan walked a few feet away from Cartman and, once he was sure that Cartman couldn't hear them, Kenny started explaining what he wanted.

"Hey, you know that I haven't been hanging out with Kyle lately, right?"  
>"Yeah."<br>"Well, I wanted to... catch up with Kyle, but he's not here and yesterday we didn't really get a chance to talk... I was wondering if you could tell me... you know, stuff he likes to do, stuff he doesn't like to do..."  
>"...Why don't you just go talk to him?"<br>"It's... complicated."  
>"...I didn't know you were into guys."<br>"I didn't know you cared."

"_Good point._"

"Well, he loves those arcade games with the guns; you know, the ones where the guns are the actual controllers?"  
>"...Seriously? Those things are ancient!"<br>"You know how Kyle is. He sounds like an old guy sometimes, saying that the next generation is ruined and that only his appreciated the good things in life."

"_I don't even know if the arcade still has those..._" thought Kenny as he nodded, not really paying attention to Stan's explanation.

"He also likes action movies and stuff like that..."

"_'Stuff like that'... Very helpful._"

"The bus is here. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Once Kenny got on the bus, he quickly looked around, trying to find Kyle. Unfortunately, Kyle wasn't there. Kenny sat down next to Butters, although the two didn't talk for the entire trip. Butters liked to look out the window, so he didn't even realize who was sitting next to him. Kenny, on the other hand, was once again thinking about the fact that he wasn't Kyle's best friend, so he didn't really care about anything else. In fact, Kenny was so focused on Stan's status as Kyle's best friend that he didn't even notice they had arrived at the school until Butters shook him.<p>

"Kenny! We're here."  
>"S-Sorry. I was... distracted."<p>

"_No kidding. It looked like you were about to burst into tears._"

"Is everything alright?"

"_No._"

"Y-Yeah. Why do you ask?"  
>"...Just wondering."<p>

* * *

><p>Kenny got off the bus and, once again, started looking around to try to find Kyle. This time, however, he succeeded. He didn't waste any time and made a beeline for the red-haired boy.<p>

"Kyle!"  
>"Yeah?" asked Kyle as he turned around.<br>"H-Hey... I was thinking about... You know what, can we talk over there?"  
>"...Sure."<p>

The boys went around the school, earning a lot of stares and giggles from everyone who saw it. As soon as they were out of sight, the speculation started. Was Kenny trying to get Kyle? Or was it the opposite? Where they dating already? If so, how long ago did they start and how long would it last? Before long, everyone had already heard about it. Some, like Stan and Ike, didn't care, but the others (especially Kenny's ex-girlfriends) were very amused by the idea of the two of them together.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kenny was trying to think of a way to talk to Kyle about going out. Even if he said it was just "as friends", they would both know what he meant. The only way out of this was for Kenny to be honest about his intentions. However, the fact that he wasn't used to asking someone out was making him very nervous.<p>

"So, Kyle... I-I was wondering if..."  
>"...What?"<br>"I-If you'd like to go out... with me."

"_Please say yes..._"

"...Where would we go?"  
>"I dunno... The arcade? We could play one of those games where the guns are the controllers. You like those, right?"<p>

"_You've been talking to Stan, haven't you?_"

"...They're OK."

Kenny and Kyle stood next to each other. Kyle was staring at the sky, whilst Kenny was looking around, trying to figure out if they were being watched by someone. They didn't even notice that the bell had rung while they were standing there. Kenny suddenly realized that Kyle hadn't actually answered his question, so he decided to ask again.

"So, uh... Is that a yes?"

Kyle snapped and turned to Kenny to answer his question. At first, he was going to say no, but, like the girls, he looked at Kenny's eyes and was left in a daze.  
>Kenny's eyes were as bright as the sky above them. Maybe they were reflecting the sky. Maybe the sun was making them appear brighter than they really were. Kyle didn't understand why they were so blue, but, soon, it stopped being important. All that mattered was how beautiful they were. Kenny, of course noticed Kyle's delay, but he didn't say anything, afraid to snap him out of it. Instead he just stood there and smiled until Kyle finally answered his question.<p>

"...Y-Yeah."

Upon hearing this, Kenny was ecstatic; not only because Kyle had said yes, but because his usual strategy had finally worked, even if he didn't actually intend to use it.

"I'll meet you there after school, alright?"  
>"OK..."<p>

Kenny put his hand on Kyle's cheek and leaned in to kiss him, but the shorter boy turned away. Kenny was slightly frustrated, but he was also somewhat relieved that Kyle was going out with him.

"...Is it me or is it a little too quiet?"

Kyle quickly glanced at his watch and noticed that they were already late. The boys rushed to their respective classes and were met with awkward stares and whispers from their classmates. Kyle was once again feeling extremely uncomfortable, but Kenny was used to it, so it didn't bother him at all.

* * *

><p>After school, Kenny and Kyle went home to leave their bags, and Kenny grabbed some money and immediately left for the arcade.<br>Kyle, however, was having second thoughts about the whole thing. Why should he go out with Kenny? He hadn't even said yes on purpose; he just hadn't been able to think straight. Besides, he knew what Kenny wanted, and it wasn't something Kyle wanted to do with him. At least not anymore.  
>He hadn't exactly been truthful when he said that the boy he had had a crush on was gone. He was there, more or less, but it wasn't him anymore.<br>Kyle used to think that he and Kenny could one day be more than just friends, but when Kenny started using people just to have fun, his dreams were crushed. Kenny wasn't the person Kyle thought he was. Even now, it was clear that all he wanted to do was have fun with Kyle. He didn't care about anything else. And yet... Kyle couldn't stop thinking about him and imagining what it would be like. While he tried to figure out what was going on in his head, he started walking to the arcade without even realizing it.

* * *

><p>Kenny had been standing outside the arcade for a long time, waiting for Kyle. He had tried to walk away a few times, since he thought that Kyle wasn't coming anymore, but he couldn't do it. He was thinking about trying again when Kyle finally arrived.<p>

"Hey, Kyle."

"_What took you so long?_"

"...Hey. Sorry about the delay, I had... a lot of things on my mind."  
>"It's OK."<p>

"_I'd stand here for the rest of the day just for you._"

"Should we go inside or..."  
>"Yeah, let's go. You also like racing games, right?"<br>"I suck at those, but... yeah."  
>"Come on, I'll give you a few tips."<p>

The boys went inside and noticed that the arcade was unusually empty. Aside from the owner, a small group of people bowling and the boys, there wasn't anyone in there.

* * *

><p>Kenny let Kyle choose all the games, and, eventually, they arrived at a racing game. It was built like a small room; it had a single door on the side, a very large screen at the front, and it was impossible to see anything from the outside and vice-versa, even with the screen turned on. Kyle was very nervous, but Kenny still managed to convince him to go first. Kenny tried explaining to him what to do, but Kyle just couldn't do it.<p>

"You suck at this. Move over a bit."

Although the seat was very small, Kyle moved to one side and Kenny sat down next to him.

"See, you have to do it more like this..."

Kenny literally held Kyle's hands while he explained what he needed to do, but the latter seemed more interested in holding hands than actually learning anything. However, he still managed to get the hang of it after a few tries.

"...My back hurts from sitting like this." said Kyle.  
>"Well, you seem to be getting the hang of it, so I'll go sit over there."<br>"W-Wait... I have a better idea."

Kyle told Kenny to sit down properly and then sat on his lap. Kenny smiled, but Kyle was too nervous to say anything.

"...This **is** better." whispered Kenny as Kyle leaned against him.

"_**Much**__ better..._" thought Kenny as he put his arms around Kyle.

* * *

><p>After the boys spent all their money, Kenny walked Kyle home. Before saying goodbye, however, he still had a few questions.<p>

"Hey, Kyle?"  
>"Yeah?"<br>"...What was that back at the arcade?"  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"You know, sitting on my lap and everything... It was nice, but... now I'm wondering why you did it."  
>"...Isn't it obvious?"<p>

Kyle was hoping that Kenny would be satisfied with that rhetorical question, but it was clear that it wouldn't be enough. Kenny wanted to hear everything from Kyle himself.

"...I think I love you, Kenny."

"_You __**think**__?_"

"But...?"  
>"...We can't be together. I don't want to be used for your amusement and then dumped like nothing ever happened."<br>"When you put it like **that**..."  
>"That's exactly what you do and you know it. You use people. You just want to have fun, and you don't care about who gets hurt."<p>

Kenny lowered his head in shame and was once again wondering whether Kyle was right.

"...Look, I gotta go. I had fun and all, but... I can't be with you unless I know that you love me too... I'm sorry."

Kyle finally walked inside and Kenny raised his head. He was having mixed feelings about that conversation. On one hand, Kyle said "too", which meant that he didn't "think" he loved him but **knew** he did. On the other hand, his little speech about using people made him feel like crap. He would just have to keep his eyes on the prize and prove Kyle wrong, no matter how long it took.


	3. Operation K2

Sorry for the delay, but I couldn't make up my mind about the second half of the story.

* * *

><p>Kyle sat on the couch and sighed. He wasn't exactly sure what he was feeling. Was he in love with the Kenny he remembered from a long time ago who cared about people? Or this Kenny, who only wanted to have fun? He even wondered whether they were the same and he just didn't know about it until Kenny started manipulating people. Everything he knew about people pointed to them being the same, yet he couldn't help feeling that the Kenny he knew was still in there somewhere.<br>The romantic gestures didn't feel like something Kenny was doing to manipulate him, but rather something he meant. On the other hand, how could he know the difference? If Kenny was trying to manipulate him, he could easily fake sincerity.  
>Kyle was so focused on Kenny he didn't even notice Ike until he was in front of him, practically shoving his hand in his face.<p>

"Kyle! Dude, wake up."  
>"S-Sorry, I was... thinking."<br>"I could see that."

"_Screw it, I just gotta know._"

"Kyle, I wasn't gonna ask this, because I didn't care at first, but now I'm curious – What were you doing with Kenny behind the school?"  
>"...None of your business."<br>"Alright..."

Ike tried to go back to his room, but Kyle suddenly grabbed his arm.

"...Who else knows about this?"  
>"About what?"<br>"That I was behind the school with Kenny."  
>"Uh... Everyone?"<p>

"_What?_"

"It was right after the bus arrived and you were practically dragged away by him. What did you expect? Hell, some have been betting on how long your relationship is gonna last."  
>"...There is no relationship."<br>"That's not what everyone is saying..."  
>"I don't care what the fuck those <strong>retards<strong> are saying. I'm not interested in Kenny."

"_You're not getting overly emotional about this at all. It certainly doesn't prove your interest..._"

"Whatever you say, bro."  
>"There is <strong>no<strong> relationship."  
>"Don't get me wrong, I believe that... I just don't believe you're not interested in him. I've seen how you act around him. Everything else just... fades into the background."<br>"I hadn't talked to him in **months** before two days ago. Nice try, though."  
>"You know what I mean. When you used to talk to him... nothing else mattered. The entire world could be going up in flames around both of you and you'd just stand there and smile."<br>"...It doesn't matter; it's too late now."  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"...It's complicated. You wouldn't understand anyway."  
>"Try me." said Ike as he sat down next to Kyle.<p>

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, as Kyle explained his situation to Ike, Kenny arrived at his room, still thinking about what Kyle said. He looked back on the things he had done to date all the girls, and the answer was clear – Kyle was right. He had been using people to have fun, but it's not like they didn't know what they were getting into. He had never lied to them about his intentions and, once his reputation spread amongst the students, he didn't even have to say anything to them.<br>Although he knew Kenny's reputation, Kyle seemed to be expecting a different treatment. Kenny was very confused by this, although he was even more confused by the fact that he was actually doing it. He hadn't been on a date with anyone in years, nor had he spent a single cent on any of his ex-girlfriends. But with Kyle, it was different. It wasn't just another person he wanted to have fun with. Kyle was special. However, Kenny didn't think that it was anything more than the fact that he was bored with dating girls. Regardless, now he couldn't show Kyle that he was wrong, since he wasn't. His hopes of being the first guy to date Kyle had effectively been crushed.  
>Kenny felt frustrated, angry, confused and something else that he hadn't felt in a long time. He felt sad. Sad that he couldn't have Kyle. Sad that Kyle didn't want him. Sad that it was entirely his fault. And, worst of all, sad that he couldn't do anything about it.<p>

"_Kyle..._"

* * *

><p>The following morning, after spending hours obsessing over Kenny, Kyle had finally made up his mind. The Kenny he knew and the Kenny who kissed him were one and the same. And he was in love with him. However, they would never be anything more than friends. Kenny's habit of dating people for one week and dumping them for someone else without any regard for who got hurt wasn't exactly a very appealing quality.<br>It was a complicated situation, but at least he knew where he stood. Until Kenny showed him that he had changed, they wouldn't be together.

* * *

><p>Kenny had also spent hours obsessing over Kyle, but he hadn't made up his mind because, unlike Kyle, he couldn't talk to any of his siblings about this. Kevin was busy most of the time, and Karen wasn't a big fan of Kenny's attitude towards girls.<br>The thought of it made him very upset, to say the least, but he had no choice. He would have to talk to Stan again. Only, this time, he would have to tell him everything. And that wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Kenny arrived at the bus stop. Once again, only Stan and Cartman were there. Like before, he approached Stan and told Cartman to go away.<p>

"Look, it's... complicated. Kyle and I went out, we had fun, but he doesn't... trust me, I guess. He thinks I'm gonna dump him when I'm done with him or something."  
>"Can you blame him? You've dated, what? Every single girl at the school who's over 16? Kyle's not stupid, he's expecting to be treated the same way."<br>"I don't know what I'm gonna do... I don't want to do that to him..."  
>"...You love him, don't you?"<br>"I don't know..."  
>"Well, Kenny, if you want my opinion, it sure looks like it. I've never seen you work so hard or care so much about someone. Ever."<p>

"_Although you've always been lazy as fuck, so maybe 'working very hard' doesn't mean much._"

"...Even if that were true, how can I prove it to him? How can I prove to Kyle that I'm not gonna leave him after a week or two?"  
>"You can't."<p>

"_Great._"

"So, what? I'm stuck like this?"  
>"Not really... You can have anyone else."<br>"I don't **want** anyone else... I just want him."

"_I just want Kyle..._"

"...And you **still** don't believe me when I say you're in love with him? Come on, all you'd need is a big flashing sign for it to be more obvious."

Kenny was reluctant to believe Stan, mostly due to his unwillingness to have a serious relationship, but also because he couldn't stop thinking about how Stan was Kyle's best friend.

"...Look, if you want, I can talk to him and see if I can convince him that you're serious about this."  
>"But I'm not..."<br>"You just said you didn't want anyone else and that you weren't going to leave him."  
>"...I know, but-"<br>"The bus is here. I'll talk to Kyle, but you'd better make up your mind, and soon."

"_I already know what you're going to do, but if I told you that, you'd just do the opposite. Kyle's the same way... You guys are perfect for each other._"

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Stan was ready to start "Operation K2". All he had to do was convince Kyle that Kenny was worth it and Kenny would take care of the rest. Of course, that was easier said than done. Kenny wouldn't need any convincing, but Kyle was one of the most stubborn people he had ever met. Talking to him directly would never work. He would have to be subtle about it.<p>

"Hey, Kyle!"

"_You don't have to yell, Stan..._"

"Hey."  
>"So... what's up?"<br>"I was just going home."  
>"Alright. Do you mind if I go with you?"<br>"Not at all? Why would I?"  
>"N-No reason."<p>

"_Very subtle, Stan. Great job. He will never suspect a thing._"

* * *

><p>When they were almost at Kyle's house, Stan finally started talking about Kenny. After talking about nothing for almost ten minutes, Kyle was so bored that he told Stan a few things about Kenny. He told him about their "date", their conversation after the date and his conversation with Ike.<p>

"Why don't you trust Kenny?"  
>"...You've been talking to him, haven't you?"<br>"What? No!"

Kyle stared at Stan for a very long time until he finally gave in.

"...Maybe."  
>"So this is his idea? Get you to talk to me and I'll just forget about everything he's done?"<p>

"_When you say it like that..._"

"This was **my** idea, actually. I've already talked to him."  
>"...What did he say?"<br>"I-I'm not sure if I should tell you that..."  
>"Dude, I'm not gonna do anything stupid."<p>

"_You already are._"

"...I think he loves you, and it's making him confused."  
>"I've been... wondering if he meant anything that he did so far. I've never seen him act this way before."<br>"That's a big indicator that his feelings towards you are different than his feelings towards his exes."  
>"...Or it's an indicator that he knows I wouldn't date him unless he showed me something he didn't mean."<br>"Do you really believe that?"  
>"I don't know..."<p>

"_We both know you don't believe that. Why do you and Kenny lie to yourselves? All you do is make yourselves confused._"

"...Look, I gotta go home now."  
>"Alright."<p>

Stan thought about calling Kyle later, but he knew that he should leave him alone for now. If Kyle felt that he was being forced to do something in any way, he would screw everything up.

"_Now I'll just have to hope for the best._"

* * *

><p>Kyle put Kenny out of his mind a few minutes after talking to Stan. Kenny, however, couldn't do the same. He was once again obsessing over Kyle, only this time, he was also thinking about his discussion with Stan. Did he really love Kyle? Or was Stan just trying to screw with him? He tried to convince himself of the latter, but he lie to himself. He knew he had never felt this way about anyone. Kyle was special to him; even more so than all his other friends, and he couldn't deny it any longer.<br>Now the only question was what he should do. Stan said that he would talk to Kyle, but did he really want that? Did he love him enough to spend a very long time (probably the rest of his life) with him? Then again, why should he even consider it? It's not like he couldn't just keep dating random girls and give up on Kyle.

"_Just give up on him... You can have anyone else in South Park..._"

* * *

><p>The following day Kenny finally found Kyle at the bus stop. Unfortunately, Stan and Cartman were also there. It seemed that Cartman was mocking Kyle, but he was really pushing it this time. Both Stan and Kyle were trying to ignore him, but it was clear to Kenny that the latter wasn't succeeding. He looked like he was on the verge of crying.<p>

"_What's wrong with him? Cartman's always a dick, but Kyle never payed attention to him._"

"Hey, look, here comes your boyfriend! Kenny! How long until you dump this Jew? I gotta know, 'cause I wanna make some money with this."

"_What the fuck is your problem?_"

"We're not dating, Cartman. Leave him alone."  
>"Come on, you can tell me. It's not like he cares anyway. The fag will probably jump on anything that has a dick."<br>"I said leave him alone, Cartman."  
>"You know, you really sound like his boyfriend. Are you <strong>sure<strong> you're not dating him?"  
>"...The bus is here. Shut the fuck up and get on."<p>

"_So you're __**not**__ dating him... But you want to._"

* * *

><p>Cartman didn't say anything for the whole trip, much to Kyle and Kenny's relief. When they got off the bus, Kenny noticed that something, or rather someone, was missing – Ike. He always came to school with Kyle. Since he still had a few minutes until school started, he might as well talk to Kyle about it.<p>

"Hey, Kyle."

Kyle turned around, and it was clear that he was still a bit shaken up. Kenny was starting to wonder if Cartman was the only reason for this.

"Hey, Ken."  
>"...What's wrong?"<br>"It's a long story."  
>"Come on, you can tell me."<p>

"_Actually no, I can't._"

"...Ike's sick, so my mom couldn't drive me to school like she always does, and then there was that thing with Cartman..."  
>"What's up with Cartman, by the way? He just seems more... aggressive than usual."<br>"I dunno... I'm more concerned with **them** right now."  
>"...Who?"<br>"Everyone. They keep staring at us like... I don't even know. It pisses me off."  
>"Just ignore them."<br>"...This-"

Kyle was about to tell Kenny that he blamed him for what was happening, but the bell rang just in time to stop him.

"...I gotta go, Kenny."  
>"Wait, what where you-"<br>"Goodbye."

Kyle rushed to his classroom, leaving Kenny very curious as to what he was going to say.

"_Well, I'll just have to ask him later._"

* * *

><p>Kenny searched the entire school every chance he got, but Kyle was avoiding him. However, that just made Kenny even more curious. After school, Kenny saw Kyle walking home very slowly, looking at the ground and followed by Cartman. The latter was once again picking on him, although he wasn't as loud as before. Kenny ran towards them just as it started to rain. Kyle kept on walking, despite the rain, but Cartman turned around almost immediately, trying to take shelter inside the school. However, when he realized that Kenny was going to talk to Kyle, he saw it as a chance to mock him again.<p>

"Hey, blondie. Going to talk to your Jew boyfriend again?"

"_You're really starting to piss me off._"

"You know what, Cartman? You can go fuck yourself. We're not dating, but so what if we were? Are you jealous of him? Or me?"  
>"Right... The old 'He's pissing off someone, so it must be jealousy' thing. Ever consider that I just hate the fag?"<br>"I did, but I didn't think you were such an asshole."  
>"Whatever. I'm going to wait for my mom to come pick me up. Go talk to your little fag."<br>"...Kyle."  
>"What?"<br>"His name is Kyle."  
>"Kyle, fag, Jew, ginger... It's all the same."<p>

"_Stop it._"

"Can you believe that he was crying right before he left? Fucking pussy. Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised... After all, the only difference between him and a girl is that girls have boobs."

"_...That's it._"

Kenny snapped and started punching Cartman, much to everyone's surprise, only stopping when he was sure that the fat boy couldn't get up.

"_Kyle..._"

Kenny suddenly remembered the last thing Cartman told him and ran towards Kyle's house, leaving Cartman behind on the ground.

* * *

><p>When Kenny arrived, he saw Sheila leaving with Ike, probably to take him to the hospital. It didn't look like he was hurt, but she had always been overprotective when it came to Ike.<p>

"_This is better anyway. She probably didn't even notice that Kyle was crying._"

Kenny knocked on the door and waited for a very long time until Kyle finally opened it. His eyes were still red from crying, and he was still sobbing a big, but he looked a lot better than Cartman led Kenny to believe.

"...Why are you here?"  
>"I saw what Cartman did, and-"<br>"What's wrong with your hands?"

Kenny looked down and noticed that he had hit Cartman a lot harder than he intended to. His hands actually had Cartman's blood on them.

"I'm fine. I-I got into a fight with Cartman."  
>"What did he do?"<br>"...He hurt you."  
>"Ken..." said Kyle with tears in his eyes.<br>"Yeah?"  
>"...You should come inside. The rain is getting worse."<br>"Thanks."

* * *

><p>Kyle closed the front door as soon as Kenny went inside and lead him into his room.<p>

"Take off your parka."  
>"...What?"<br>"It's wet. You're gonna get sick."  
>"Oh. I thought... Never mind."<br>"Here." said Kyle as he tossed Kenny a blanket. "Use this."

Kenny took the blanket and, after wrapping it around himself, sat down on Kyle's bed. He sat there for a long time and finally decided to tell Kyle the truth.

"Kyle, I've been thinking..."  
>"About what?" said Kyle as he sat down next to Kenny.<br>"...You. I can't stop thinking about you, Kyle."  
>"...Stop. Don't say another word. I'm over you, do you understand? I don't love you anymore. I just want you to go do whatever you want to do and leave me alone."<br>"Even if I believed any of that, what if what I want is you?"  
>"Well then, you're screwed, because I don't want you."<br>"...If that's true, why did you tell me to come inside?"  
>"Shut up."<br>"You still love me, Kyle."  
>"I told you to shut up."<br>"Why don't you just admit it?"  
>"Alright, fine! I still love you! Is that what you want to hear?"<p>

After Kyle finished yelling, the tears he had been holding back started flowing once again. Kenny didn't think that he had pushed Kyle that far, but he thought that he was probably just under a lot of pressure right now.

"...I just want you to tell me the truth."  
>"...I already did. I love you, Ken. But I know that you don't love me."<br>"Come here." said Kenny with his arms open.

Kyle approached Kenny, who then wrapped his arms around him and held him tight.

"...You're wrong, Kyle. I didn't realize it at first, but... I **do** love you."  
>"How do I know you're telling the truth?"<p>

In response, Kenny repositioned Kyle's head, placing it against his heart.

"...This doesn't mean anything." said Kyle as he pushed Kenny away. "This is all your fault anyway."  
>"What are you talking about?"<p>

Kyle told Kenny all the bad things that happened after he told everyone that he was gay, as well as the rumors that emerged when Kenny started hanging out with him. He explained how much it was affecting him, and how he just wanted it to stop. He had his back turned to Kenny the whole time, so he didn't notice that the blond boy had tears in his eyes, due to his guilt.

"...I'm so sorry, Kyle. I didn't know... I didn't mean for that to happen."

Kyle turned around and was as confused as Kenny was when he snapped. He had never seen Kenny cry so easily, especially over something that wasn't really that important.

"_Should I say something?_"

"D-Dude, it's OK..."  
>"No, it's not... I don't want to hurt you, Kyle."<br>"Hey, look at me. I'm fine. Besides, I think that after you beat up Cartman the way you did, it'll stop... I think the other guys just did it because of him anyway."

"_You're really creeping me out now, Kenny. Please don't cry._"

"...Are you sure? You looked pretty bad when I arrived."  
>"Cartman, Ike and... the rest was really screwing me up."<br>"Are you feeling alright now?"  
>"Yeah..."<p>

The boys hugged once again, until Kenny realized that it was getting late, and that he needed to go home.

"I have to go now, Kyle. The rain stopped; it's getting late-"  
>"Y-Yeah, I know. It's OK."<p>

Kenny got up, put the blanket around Kyle and picked up his parka. After putting it back on, he walked towards the door, only to be stopped by Kyle, who grabbed his arm.

"What is it?"  
>"...Don't ever do that again."<br>"Do what?"  
>"Don't cry."<p>

Kyle gently took off Kenny's hood and stared into his eyes for a long time. Kenny instinctively leaned down and, this time, Kyle didn't turn away from him. Instead, he pulled Kenny closer, pressing their lips together for the.

"That was nice. How long had you been waiting to do that?"

"_Too long._"

"Go home, Ken, before it starts raining again."  
>"...Alright. But I expect this to happen a lot mo-"<p>

Kenny's sentence was interrupted by Kyle once again pulling him closer for a kiss.

"Like that?"  
>"...Y-Yeah."<p>

"_When did you get so bold? The last time I tried to kiss you it looked like you were going to kill me for it._"

"Listen, Kyle, I know you wouldn't be doing this unless you were already sure, but I really do love you, and I'm not gonna leave you."

"_I hope not... I don't know what I'd do without you._"

"Goodbye, Ken."  
>"...Bye."<p>

Kenny still wasn't sure what Kyle was thinking, but he preferred the uncertainty that he cared to the certainty that he didn't. Kyle also shared his feelings of confusion, but at least he knew one thing – it felt right. And that was all he needed to be sure that he and Kenny belonged together.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the crappy ending, specially after the long delay, but I had a slight problem with writing it. It sounded good in my head, but once I started writing it, I was either unable to convey it properly or it just wasn't as good as I thought.<p> 


End file.
